Letter-file



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L. NOTTINGHAM.

| No. 346,061. Patented July 20, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD NOTTINGHAM, or NORFOLK, vmemni.

LETTER-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,061, dated July 20, 1886.

Application filed April 19, 1886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LLOYD NOTTINGHAM, of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful 5 Improvement in Letter-Files, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention is in the nature of an improved letter-file, which may be adjusted to stand upon a desk or be hung up against a wall or be used as a combined letter file and paperweight.

It relates to that form of letter-file in which an adjustable wire loop is connected to a base plate; and it consists in theimproved construction and combination of these parts, which I will now proceed to describe, whereby a more secure attachment and greater variety of adjustments may be obtained.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the letterfile as suspended upon a wall, and Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the letter-file when adjusted for use on a table.

A represents the base-plate, which is made of metal and of any desired shape or fanciful 5 pattern, and B is the loop or spring-wire, which is bent or returned upon itself and has its ends brought into alignment and held so by the construction of its ends, one of which, a, is wedge-shaped, and the other of which, I), has a corresponding Vshaped groove to receive the wedge-shaped end, and which two ends are separated to place the letters on the wire by pressing the wedge-shaped end laterally out of the V-shaped groove,whieh wedgeshaped end then springs out, so that the letters and papers can be pierced by the same. The loop of wire is connected adj ustably to the base-plate by having its back portion extended through a hole in the lug or projection 0, formed on the center of the base-plate,through which lug or projectiomatright angles to the wire,aset-screw, d, is tapped,which, by being tightened up, bears upon the wire and fixes it in its adjustment on the base-plate. In the 5 upper part of the baseplate is formed a slot Serial No. 199,389. (No model.)

or hole, 0, by which thcletter-filc may be hung upon a nail against the wall, and when used in this position the length of the wire loop is parallel with the base-plate, as in Fig. 1.

WVhen used as a standing letter-file,the baseplate stands upon the table or desk, and the set screw being loosened the wire loop is slipped through the hole in the lug or projection, and the loop of wire is turned until it is practically vertical or at right angles to the base, in which position the lower bend of the loop rests in the lug or projection c, and is there secured by the set-screw, as in Fig. 2.

When the device is used as a combined letter-file and paper-weight,tl1e base-plate is allowed to rest upon the table; but the wire loop is adjusted to the horizontal position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which position the wire loop both serves as a handle for the paper-weight as well as means for securing the papers thereto.

One advantage of this letter-file is, that as the ends of the wire loop are in alignment the batch of papers may he slipped up above the joint in the loop, to permit a paper to be removed from the middle or lower part of the like without removing the others.

In modifying my invention I may make the base-plate of greater size or length,and secure two or more loops of wire to it by means of set-screws andperforated lugs.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is The combination'of the base-plate A, having a lug, c, rigidly connected therewith and perforated, as described, the loop B, having a portion thereof passed through the said perforated lug, and a set-screw, d,tapped through the perforated lug and bearing against the wire loop for holding it to its several adjustments, substantially as shown and described.

LLOYD NOTTINGHAM.

Witnesses:

EDW. W. BYRN,

OHAs. A. Pnrrlr. 

